Cheap Broadway Theatre Tickets

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Published May 14th 2017

Stand Up If You Want Cheap Broadway Tickets

Musicals and theatre are a hugely popular pastime in New York. Photo by Jade Jackson Photography.

With most theatre tickets costing in excess of USD150, securing cheap tickets is part of the quintessential New York experience.

Most tourists wanting cheap tickets for a Broadway show head to TKTS at Times Square (though they have other locations), usually having to queue up for hours. Whilst the promise of discounts of up to 50% may seem enticing, sometimes it's only 20% off. However, it's not the only way to secure cheap Broadway theatre tickets.

Some theatres offer Standing Room Only tickets which range in price from $25 to $50. If you're not fussy about which show you see and don't mind standing for the duration of the performance, some theatres offer a wall or table to lean against, whilst you enjoy a famous broadway musical.

Each standing ticket has a dedicated space, much like a seat number; some of which are behind the seated area, others are down the sides of the theatre and if offered, capacity of standing room tickets is limited.

Waitress The Musical (based on the hit indie movie) has standing room tickets available when all other seats are sold out. Image courtesy of Waitressthemusical.com.

Some theatres only sell standing room tickets an hour before the show if all seats are sold out, however other theatres will offer standing room tickets, regardless of whether a performance is sold out or not.

Simply ask at the box office and be prepared to come back later in the day, with cash for the opportunity to see a Broadway musical such as The Phantom of the Opera for much less than standard ticket prices.

Standing room tickets are available for 'The Book of Mormon.' Image courtesy of thebookofmormanbroadway.com.

As you're buying direct from the theatre box office, there's no stress about buying dodgy tickets from scalpers. Standing room tickets may not be available every night but for the money saved, it's worth asking around at a few box office outlets.

Tickets for popular musical 'Hamilton' are in high demand but it's possible to get discounted tickets. Image courtesy of Hamiltonbroadway.com

Some theatres also offer limited discounted tickets called General Rush as soon as the box office opens. However there can also be tickets available via lottery, so if you're in New York for a few days, you might be lucky on one day to score musical lottery tickets.

If you want to see a specific production and secure seats in advance, then sign up to the theatre mailing list, as discount codes are often released exclusively, to email subscribers to fill capacity ahead of time.

You can also often find coupons in tourist brochures and pamphlets available from information centres.

Lastly, if you are more interested in the idea of theatre but really don't care what you see, then the Off-off Broadway experience offers tickets as cheap as $9.

These productions are up and comers, often experimental and may not even be in a theatre, but it's all part of the experience and for $9, you can hardly complain.

For a list of theatres in New York visit NYTix.com and for a list of current productions and ticket prices click here.

Standing for a two our production may seem exhausting after sightseeing all day but with a padded wall to lean against and a drink in hand, we were too enthralled with the show to even notice.

The three people directly in front of us (in seats) paid $260 each, compared to our $25 each for standing tickets. Considering we had the same view, standing was more in line with my budget.

Check musical websites or ask at the box office about discount ticket options like standing room, general rush or lottery, as these options exist to ensure everyone, has an opportunity to experience world class musical productions.